Actuator for a pressure roll



Feb. 10, 1970 0. s. KILLAM ACTUATOR FOR A PRESSURE ROLL Filed March 28. 1968 FIG.3

INVENTOR. DAVID G. KILLAM M 7/4/ ATTORNEY United States Patent US. Cl. 27151 7 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A pivotally mounted arm carries a pressure roll situated between two continuously rotating feed wheels. Two flat springs are attached at one end to opposite sides of another arm attached to the same shaft as the first arm carrying the pressure roll in a preloaded manner. The free ends of the springs extend beyond the end of this arm. A pin extending normally from a pivotally mounted armature is captured between the free ends of the springs. A spring biased detcnt is in engagement with the armature to normally hold it in a neutral position out of maintain the pressure wheel in a neutral position out of engagement with the feed wheels. The armature lies between two electromagnets. When either magnet is energized, the second arm is pivoted to bring the pressure roll into contact with the element to be fed. Although the second arm cannot move further when the pressure roll contacts the element, the armature continues to move and one of the preloaded springs is lifted from the second arm via the pin. Thus, the preload force is applied to the pressure roll.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the invention This invention relates to selectively operable electromechanical actuators and more particularly to such apparatus for selectively moving a pressure roll from a neutral position into cooperative feeding relationship with a feed wheel and transfer a preload force to the pressure roll when it has been moved into feeding position relative to the feed wheel.

The invention finds particular utility in record card or document handling machines. In such machines, it is sometimes necessary to hold a card or document in a wait station prior to advancement through a work station. Further, in some machines, the cards or documents are selected into primary and secondary paths to be held in upper and lower wait stations. For these types of machines, it is essential that the pressure roll be held in a neutral position until feed is desired. It is also essential that the pressure roll be returned to the neutral position without disturbing the card or document in the other wait station.

Description of the prior art In the past it has been the practice to apply pressure to the pressure roll in a manner which was not suitable for adjustment or which did not permit the pressure roll to be held in a neutral position and be moved from that position into cooperative feeding relationship with either an upper or lower feed wheel. In this invention, adjustments can be made independent of the touch or feel of the person making the adjustment. Also, in this invention, the preloaded springs are free at one end and thus movement of the pressure roll in two directions is not restricted. The preloaded springs are designed to have a low spring rate and therefore displacement variations are less critical. This invention is of simple construction and therefore easy and inexpensive to manufacture.

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SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The principle object of the invention is to provide an improved selectively operable electromechanical actuator for moving a pressure ro-ll from a neutral position into cooperative feeding relationship with a feed wheel and for transferring a preload force to the pressure roll which:

(a) is easy to adjust;

(b) is relatively simple and inexpensive;

(c) can move the pressure roll into cooperative feeding relationship with either an upper or lower feed wheel; and

(d) enables the use of springs having a low spring rate.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the actuator apparatus, pressure roll and feed wheels;

FIG. 2 is a front elevational view of the actuator apparatus, pressure roll and feed wheels where the pressure roll is in the neutral position;

FIG. 3 is a front elevational view of the actuator apparatus, pressure roll and feed wheels with the pressure roll in cooperative feeding relationship with the lower feed wheel; and,

FIG. 4 is a front elevational view of the actuator apparatus, pressure roll and feed wheels with the pressure roll in cooperative feeding relationship with the upper feed roll.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION With reference to the drawings and particularly with respect to FIG. 1, the invention is illustrated by way of example as being incorporated into a machine having upper and lower card paths. For purposes of clarity, the supports or beds for cards 10 and 11 are not shown. It should be recognized that the cards must be supported but such supports are not essential to the invention. Further, the terms upper and lower in relative and are not significant to the invention. Feed wheels 12 and 13 are continuously driven from a suitable drive source not shown. Although feed wheels 12 and 13 are rotating continuously, cards 10 and 11 will not be fed so long as pressure roll 15 is in the neutral position, as best seen in FIG. 2. In fact, when pressure roll 15 is in the neutral position, the cards 10 and 11 are held against movement by selectively operable card holders, not shown, but shown and described in the IBM Technical Disclosure Bulletin, volume 9, No. 11, April 1967, page 1615, which is available in the United States Library of Congress.

Referring again to FIG. 1, the feed wheels 12 and 13 are fixed to the ends of shafts 16 and 17, respectively, and pressure roll 15 is journalled on a screw 18 threaded into arm 19 which is fixed to shaft 20. Screw 18 thus functions to rotatably support pressure roll 15 and it also restrains pressure roll 15 against lateral movement. Shaft 20 is journalled in a support, not shown, to enable rotary movement thereof.

Rotary movement of shaft 20 is under control of an electromagnet system which includes magnets 24 and 25 and armature 26. Armature 26 is common to magnets 24 and 25 and is journalled on shaft 20. A pin 30 is fixed to armature 26 and extends laterally from the side thereof to enter between a pair of flat springs 32 and 33 which are attached to arm 34. Arm 34 is provided with sloping surfaces 36 and 37 which terminate at horizontal surfaces 38 and 39. The springs 32 and 33 are placed on arm 34 so that their ends abut against shoulders 40 and 41 respectively. The springs 32 and 33 are held in place by wedges 44 and 45 and screws 46 and 47 which pass through the wedges 44 and 45 and thread into arm 34. By this arrangement, a preload force is placed upon low rate springs 32 and 33, and the springs 32 and 33 are inactive when applying a movement to arm 34 so long as arm 34 can pivot.

Thus, when either magnet 24 or 25 is energized, shaft 20 is rotated via armature 26, pin 30, either spring 32 or 33 and arm 34. Shaft 20 can be rotated until pressure wheel 15 comes against card or 11 and into cooperative feeding relationship with either feed 'wheel 12 or 13. When this occurs, arm 34 cannot move any further; however, armature 26 continues to move until an extension 27 engages fixed stop 50 or 51 depending upon which magnet had been energized. As armature 26 continues to move, pin 30 will lift either spring 32 or 33 away from arm 34 to apply the preload force to pressure roll 15. It should be noted that the stops 50 and 51 and magnets 24 and 25 are so arranged that springs 32 and 33 will be lifted from arm 34 before armature 26 engages stops 50 and 51, but without armature 26 sealing against the pole pieces of magnets 24and 25 when armature 26 is against either stop 50 or 51. By this arrangement, the springs 32 and 33 are able to quickly move the armature 26 away from magnets 24 and 25 when they are de-energized.

Armature 26 is provided with a V-shaped notch 55 at one endthereof for receiving detent roller 56 carried at one end of leaf spring 57 which is attached at its other end to fixed block 58. Detent roller 56 functions to hold armature 26 in a neutral position when neither magnet 24 or 25 is energized and to carry armature 24 to the neutral position after either magnet 24 or 25 has been de-energized. When armature 26 is in the neutral position, pressure roll is out of cooperative feeding relationship with feed rolls 12 and 13. It is very important that when the detent roller 56 returns armature 26 to the neutral position, i.e., from the position shown in either FIG. 3 or in FIG. 4 to the position shown in FIG. 2, that the armature 26 does not overtravel, because if it did, the pressure roll 15 might disturb the card in the other station, i.e., cause the unintentional feeding of the card.

In FIG. 3, magnet 24 is energized and armature 26 has been pivoted counterclockwise whereby pressure roll 15 moves from the position shown in FIG. 2 until it engages card 11 as shown in FIG. 3. Thereafter, the armature 26 continues to pivot counterclockwise and causes pin 30 to lift spring 32 away from arm 34. Armature 26 finally engages stop 50 and is held thereagainst by the attractive force of magnet 24. Detent roller 56 follows the V-shaped notch 55 and spring 57 is deflected as armature 26 pivots counterclockwise. When magnet 24 is de-energized, spring 32 will provide a quick release force for pivoting armature 26 via pin 30 clockwise away from the pole piece of magnet 24. Spring 57 also provides a force through roller 56 to return armature 26 to the neutral position shown-in FIG. '2. In FIG. 4, magnet 25 has been energized to pivot armature 26 clockwise until it engages stop 51. Pressure roll 15 has been moved into contact with card 10 and the preload force has been transferred to pressure roll 15 as pin 30 moved spring 33 away from arm 34. The action of detent roller 56 is similar to that described for FIG. 3.

From the foregoing, it is seen that the broad principle of the invention is to have a low rate spring under a preload with the spring force inactive until the pressure roll is restrained against further movement. The flat spring arrangement is very desirable because of its simplicity. It should be recognized that other arrangements incorporating the principles of the invention are also possible. For example, two armatures could be used where the armatures are journalled on a shaft such as shaft and pins extending from the armatures would be in contact with opposite sides of an arm like arm 34. The pins would be held against the arm by a preloaded spring connected to the two pins. When one magnet is energized, the associated armature would be pivoted and would also pivot the arm and the other armature through the pins and preloaded spring. When the pressure roll engages the card, o y e as ociated armature continues o move and the preload force from the spring is transferred to the pressure roll.

While the invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to preferred embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the foregoing and other changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. Actuator apparatus for selectively moving a pressure roll into cooperative feeding relationship with a feed roll where said pressure roll is bearing against an article to be fed, the improvement comprising:

a pivotally mounted member including means for supporting said pressure roll;

I an arm fixed to said member;

a preloaded spring mounted on said arm to be held inactive thereby;

electromagnetic means including a pivotally mounted armature in contact with said preloaded spring whereby when said electromagnetic means is energized, said armature acts upon said spring to pivot said member through said arm until said pressure roll bears against said article and thereafter displaces said spring to overcome the preload force and transfer the same to said pressure roll through said arm and member.

2. The actuator apparatus of claim 1 where said preloaded spring is a flat spring.

3. The actuator apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a stop positioned to engage said armature prior to the same making contact with said electromagnetic means and after said armature has acted upon said spring to displace the same and overcome the preload force.

4. Actuator apparatus for selectively moving a pressure roll from a neutral position to an active position in cooperative feeding relationship with a continuously totating feed wheel so as to feed an article between said pressure roll and said feed wheel, the improvement comprising:

a pivotally mounted member including means for supporting said pressure roll;

a preloaded flat spring mounted on said pivotally mounted member with at least a portion of said spring free of said pivotally mounted member;

selectively operable pivotally mounted actuating means including means for engaging the free portion of said spring to pivot said pivotally mounted member through said spring when said actuating means is operated and displace said spring to apply said preload force to said pressure roll; and

detent means positioned to hold said pressure roll in said neutral position when said actuating means is in the non-operated condition and to return said pressure roll to said neutral position after said actuating means is rendered non-operable.

' 5. The actuator apparatus of claim 4 further comprising:

a stop for limiting the movement of said actuating means after the same has displaced said spring to apply preload force to said pressure roll.

6. Actuator apparatus for selectively moving a pressure roll from a neutral position to an active position in tending therefrom to be flankingly embraced by said References Cited springs; and

detent means positioned in engagement with said arm- UNITED STATES PATENTS ature to hold the same in a neutral position when 3,137,429 6/1964 10510, 226 176 said electromagnets are de-energized and to return 3 257 05 5 19 Cedel-berg 226 176 said armature to said neutral position after one of 5 said electromagmets has been de-energized. HENSON WOOD, JR Primary Examiner 7. The actuator apparatus of claim 6 further comprising a pair of stops positioned on opposite sides of said R. A. SCI-IACHER, Assistant Examiner armature so as to engage said armature prior to the same making'contact with said electromagnets and after 10 US. Cl, X.R. said armature has acted upon said springs to displace 226155, 177, 187 the same to overcome the preload force.

PO-IOSI) (5m) UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 3,494,612 Dated February 10 1970 Inventor(s) D. G. Killam It is certified that er and that said Letters Patent In the specification, column 1, the tenth line Abstract of the Disclosure, the words read -and thereby.

rot appears in the above-identified patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

of the text of "out of" should SIGNED AND SEALED JUN 2 31970 c Attest:

Edward M. Fletcher, Ir. Aumin Offi LLIAM 1:. Beam, .13.

Commissioner of Pat-ants 

